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Q & A with Jaguar's David Pitchforth

Conducted and provided by Jaguar's press office.

Conducted and provided by Jaguar's press office.

Q. Justin Wilson has joined you for the remainder of the season. What are you expecting him to achieve in this time?

DP:

"Five races is not a long time so in terms of what we expect to see from Justin, I think it would be fair to say that we are not expecting miracles. Hockenheim will be like winter testing for Justin and to be honest, Hungary is likely to be more of the same. Monza is really going to be his first race and of course we would like him to achieve his best, what ever that may be. A new team, a new car and new tracks are a difficult combination to balance and the support from the team both on track and back at the factory will be huge. Justin has a lot of experience behind him and we will certainly be looking for him to make the most of any opportunities that may materialise during the race. The Jaguar R4 is competitive and we can only ask that Justin do his best."

Q. If Justin performs well over the next five races, is he guaranteed a drive with you in 2004?

DP:

"We have a few options available to us for next year. The number of seats available in Formula One is so small in comparison to the number of drivers that are chasing seats that it means that we are in no rush to make a quick decision. Justin has the same opportunities as anyone else and I know that he is planning to make the most of the next five races and no doubt he will be keen to build on the respect that he has earned this year so far."

Q. Is fifth place in the Constructor's Championship realistic?

DP:

"With five races still to go anything is possible. We are always pushing and with our two drivers and the team, I believe that we have as much opportunity as any other team to race for fifth. As we have developed the Jaguar R4 during the season its pace and reliability have improved to a level that we feel is worthy of fifth place. We have come so much further than we had anticipated at the end of last year that we are keen to keep the momentum up despite the three-week break after Hockenheim. Although both drivers will be taking a bit of time off from the hectic marketing and PR schedule, the factory will continue to work at a high level that will see us through the final races."

Q. How are the developments on the R4 progressing and what are your expectations for Hockenheim?

DP:

"Silverstone was a difficult race for us so with that in mind we will be keen to perform better at Hockenheim. Hockenheim is an interesting track and I know some drivers like it and some clearly don't. Mark enjoys the circuit and so I will be looking for Mark to be competitive in the middle field. This is not unrealistic going on past history and as his records show he has been on the podium here before in other series. For Justin this is a new track and this is why Friday testing is so important to us. With that in mind I will be looking to Justin to learn about the car and start to feel comfortable in it. It will really be the first opportunity for him to get to grips with the R4 and to understand its capabilities."

Q. Is the fact that Justin is a British driver going to make a difference to the team?

DP:

"Justin has been employed for his ability on track and certainly was not hired with his nationality in mind. However, the fact that he is a local resident is definitely a bonus for company morale and local support. Being local will make it easier for both him and the team in terms of time spent working together. Justin, like Mark, is able to visit the factory on a regular basis and this certainly is a benefit to the team."

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